Conversations with Aya Hage

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aya Hage

Hi Aya, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I attended the Michigan Renaissance Festival for the first time at 17 years old, and was fascinated by all the accessories. The wire-wrapped earcuff I purchased immediately became my favorite piece of jewelry. So when I later found some crafting wire in my mother’s basement, it made me wonder if I could make my own earcuffs by examining and taking apart the one I already had. My first attempts were horrendous, but I was still proud of myself for at least acquiring the knowledge on how to reverse-engineer it. I figured that with enough repetition and patience, I could probably achieve the results I wanted.

Pleased with myself, I was determined to see what other kinds of jewelry I could explore and teach myself to make. Over the past decade I’ve expanded to other art mediums, began selling my work and have enjoyed setting up shop at various events in the U.S.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
From the creative side it’s been smooth for the most part, I have your typical ‘artist’s block’ that comes and goes, but I’ve come up with my own ways to reinvigorate myself and stay inspired on that front.

Overall, the biggest struggle was attempting to balance it with a 9-5 corporate job. My initial goal and hope was to grow Druid Nocturna on the side to a point where I felt it’s success was consistent enough for me to be able to leave the 9-5 life, at my own pace. Unfortunately, I did come to a realization that I could not grow past a certain point, specifically because the day job was my roadblock. I felt defeated at first, because stability is incredibly important to me and the idea of leaving that up to chance made me nervous.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I feel I’ve succeeded in incorporating my love for the metal music genre into my art, and I still find joy in finding new and unique ways to continue doing so. One thing I’m known for is turning guitar picks into jewelry that leans heavily on aesthetics. It’s a fun and extremely personal way for people to immortalize something from music that’s touched them- whether its the musician the pick belonged to or their memories of the day they acquired the pick.

As far as what I’m most proud of, I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with some musicians to create custom pieces for them. It’s something I never get tired of- spotting my work in music videos, seeing my work in a live performance on stage, or just knowing that a musician that I listen to and admire owns something that I’ve created.

What are your plans for the future?
Proceed as normal- and by ‘normal’, I mean staying hungry to learn more ways to create, keep pushing my artistic limits all while still promising myself to always prioritize the love I have for creating and the happiness it brings me.

I would also like to explore more music festivals to set up shop at, and connect with new people

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.druidnocturna.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/druidnocturna/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DruidNocturna/